Fermentek
Encyclopedia
Fermentek Ltd. is a biotechnological
company, located in Atarot
industrial zone, Jerusalem, Israel
, specializing in the research, development and manufacture of biologically active, natural products isolated from microorganisms as well as from other natural sources such as plants and algae.
The main microorganisms used are nonpathogenic actinomycetes
, Nocardia and Streptomycetes
. The fungi
used are: Penicillium, Aspergillus, Fusarium and the like. None of these is a human pathogen
.
Fermentek does not sell to individuals. Most of its products are marketed through major international distributors specializing in chemicals, under their own brand names. Nevertheless, Fermentek has specific impact on the biochemical market, especially in the field of field of mycotoxins.
As is explained elsewhere
, mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by molds in human food and farm animal feeds, thus being economically important factors. Fermentek manufactures an extensive line of pure mycotoxins used as standards in food analysis. In some cases, such as Aflatoxin M2, Fermentek supplies the entire world's requirements.
In 2009 Fermentek announced a product-family of highly standardized calibrant solutions of main mycotoxins. These are marketed under the brandname FermaSol. In 2010 it obtained ISO 13485
accreditation in the connection with the production of starting materials for experimental drug production, and with manucacturing of reference standards of food contaminants.
None of Fermentek's products have been invented by it. Fermentek's aim is to make compounds already known, affordable to the scientific community.
Fermentek was founded by Dr Yosef Behrend in 1994. It moved in 2004 to its new building, quadrupling its working space and greatly enlarging its manufacturing capacities.
According to the company policy as declared at its official website, Fermentek uses only the "Classical" biotechnology approach. This means that only genetically unmodified natural microbial strains are employed, and no attempt is made to achieve mutants, neither random nor targeted.
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
company, located in Atarot
Atarot
Atarot was a moshav in Mandatory Palestine, north of Jerusalem along the highway to Ramallah. The village was captured and destroyed by the Jordanian Arab Legion during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War...
industrial zone, Jerusalem, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, specializing in the research, development and manufacture of biologically active, natural products isolated from microorganisms as well as from other natural sources such as plants and algae.
The main microorganisms used are nonpathogenic actinomycetes
Actinobacteria
Actinobacteria are a group of Gram-positive bacteria with high guanine and cytosine content. They can be terrestrial or aquatic. Actinobacteria is one of the dominant phyla of the bacteria....
, Nocardia and Streptomycetes
Streptomyces
Streptomyces is the largest genus of Actinobacteria and the type genus of the family Streptomycetaceae. Over 500 species of Streptomyces bacteria have been described. As with the other Actinobacteria, streptomycetes are gram-positive, and have genomes with high guanine and cytosine content...
. The fungi
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
used are: Penicillium, Aspergillus, Fusarium and the like. None of these is a human pathogen
Pathogen
A pathogen gignomai "I give birth to") or infectious agent — colloquially, a germ — is a microbe or microorganism such as a virus, bacterium, prion, or fungus that causes disease in its animal or plant host...
.
Fermentek does not sell to individuals. Most of its products are marketed through major international distributors specializing in chemicals, under their own brand names. Nevertheless, Fermentek has specific impact on the biochemical market, especially in the field of field of mycotoxins.
As is explained elsewhere
Mycotoxin
A mycotoxin is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by organisms of the fungus kingdom, commonly known as molds. The term ‘mycotoxin’ is usually reserved for the toxic chemical products produced by fungi that readily colonize crops...
, mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by molds in human food and farm animal feeds, thus being economically important factors. Fermentek manufactures an extensive line of pure mycotoxins used as standards in food analysis. In some cases, such as Aflatoxin M2, Fermentek supplies the entire world's requirements.
In 2009 Fermentek announced a product-family of highly standardized calibrant solutions of main mycotoxins. These are marketed under the brandname FermaSol. In 2010 it obtained ISO 13485
ISO 13485
ISO 13485 is an ISO standard, published in 2003, that represents the requirements for a comprehensive management system for the design and manufacture of medical devices...
accreditation in the connection with the production of starting materials for experimental drug production, and with manucacturing of reference standards of food contaminants.
None of Fermentek's products have been invented by it. Fermentek's aim is to make compounds already known, affordable to the scientific community.
Fermentek was founded by Dr Yosef Behrend in 1994. It moved in 2004 to its new building, quadrupling its working space and greatly enlarging its manufacturing capacities.
Technology
Fermentek operates fermentors from 10 to 15000 liters, filter presses and centrifuges of matching capacity.According to the company policy as declared at its official website, Fermentek uses only the "Classical" biotechnology approach. This means that only genetically unmodified natural microbial strains are employed, and no attempt is made to achieve mutants, neither random nor targeted.
Main products
- Mycotoxins: AflatoxinAflatoxinAflatoxins are naturally occurring mycotoxins that are produced by many species of Aspergillus, a fungus, the most notable ones being Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxins are toxic and among the most carcinogenic substances known...
, CytochalasinCytochalasinCytochalasins are fungal metabolites that have the ability to bind to actin filaments and block polymerization and the elongation of actin. As a result of the inhibition of actin polymerization, cytochalasins can change cellular morphology, inhibit cellular processes such as cell division, and even...
, FumonisinsFumonisinsA fumonisin is a mycotoxin derived from Fusarium.More specifically, it can refer to:* Fumonisin B1* Fumonisin B2...
, GliotoxinGliotoxinGliotoxin is a sulfur-containing mycotoxin produced by several species of fungi, some of which are pathogens of humans such as Aspergillus, and also by species of Trichoderma, and Penicillium...
, PatulinPatulinPatulin is a mycotoxin produced by a variety of molds, in particular, Aspergillus and Penicillium. It is commonly found in rotting apples, and the amount of patulin in apple products is generally viewed as a measure of the quality of the apples used in production...
, Penicillic acidPenicillic acidPenicillic acid is a mycotoxin....
, ZearalenoneZearalenoneZearalenone , also known as RAL and F-2 mycotoxin, is a potent estrogenic metabolite produced by some Gibberella species.Several Fusarium species produce toxic substances of considerable concern to livestock and poultry producers: namely, deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol ...
, TentoxinTentoxinTentoxin is a natural cyclic tetrapeptide produced by phytopathogenic fungus Alternaria alternata. It selectively induces chlorosis in several germinating seedling plants. Therefore, tentoxin may be used as a potential natural herbicide....
, Deoxynivalenol, CitrininCitrininCitrinin is a mycotoxin originally isolated from Penicillium citrinum. It has since been found to be produced by a variety of other fungi which are used in the production of human foods such as grain, cheese, sake and red pigments...
, T2 toxin, HT2 toxin, TentoxinTentoxinTentoxin is a natural cyclic tetrapeptide produced by phytopathogenic fungus Alternaria alternata. It selectively induces chlorosis in several germinating seedling plants. Therefore, tentoxin may be used as a potential natural herbicide....
, MoniliforminMoniliforminMoniliformin is a quite unusual mycotoxin, a feed contaminant that is quite lethal to fowl.Moniliformin is formed in many cereals by a number of Fusarium species that include, besides Fusarium moniliforme, Fusarium avenaceum, Fusarium subglutinans, Fusarium proliferatum and others...
, Deacetoxyscirpenol, Neosolaniol, Citreoviridin, BeauvericinBeauvericinBeauvericin is a depsipeptide with antibiotic and insecticidal effects belonging to the enniatin family. It was isolated from the fungus Beauveria bassiana, but is also produced by several other fungi, including several Fusarium species; it may therefore occur in grain contaminated with these fungi...
, Nivalenol, Tenuazonic acidTenuazonic acidTenuazonic acid is a mycotoxin. It is a toxic secondary metabolite, produced by Alternaria and Phoma species...
, AlternariolAlternariolAlternariol is a toxic metabolite of Alternaria fungi. It is an important contaminant in cereals and fruits.Alternariol exhibits antifungal and phytotoxic activity. It is reported to inhibit Cholinesterase....
, Alternariol methyl ether - Immunomodulators: TacrolimusTacrolimusTacrolimus is an immunosuppressive drug that is mainly used after allogeneic organ transplant to reduce the activity of the patient's immune system and so lower the risk of organ rejection...
, SirolimusSirolimusSirolimus , also known as rapamycin, is an immunosuppressant drug used to prevent rejection in organ transplantation; it is especially useful in kidney transplants. A macrolide, sirolimus was first discovered as a product of the bacterium Streptomyces hygroscopicus in a soil sample from Easter...
, AscomycinAscomycinAscomycin, also called Immunomycin, FR-900520, FK520, is an ethyl analog of tacrolimus with strong immunosuppressant properties. It can be used to treat autoimmune diseases and skin diseases, and can help prevent rejection after an organ transplant....
, MyriocinMyriocinMyriocin, also known as antibiotic ISP-1 and thermozymocidin, is an atypical amino acid and an antibiotic derived from certain thermophilic fungi. Among the producing strains are Mycelia sterilia and Isaria sinclairii.... - Ionophores: ValinomycinValinomycinValinomycin is a dodecadepsipeptide antibiotic.Valinomycin is obtained from the cells of several Streptomyces strains, among which "S. tsusimaensis" and S. fulvissimus....
, NonactinNonactinNonactin is a member of a family of naturally occurring cyclic ionophores known as the macrotetrolide antibiotics. The other members of nactins homologous family are monactin, dinactin, trinactin and tetranactin which are all neutral ionophoric substances and higher homologs of nonactin....
, IonomycinIonomycinIonomycin is an ionophore produced by the bacterium Streptomyces conglobatus. It is used in research to raise the intracellular level of calcium and as a research tool to understand Ca2+ transport across biological membranes.... - Special antibiotics and molecular biology reagents. AnisomycinAnisomycinAnisomycin, also known as flagecidin is an antibiotic produced by Streptomyces griseolus which inhibits protein synthesis. Partial inhibition of DNA synthesis occurs at anisomycin concentrations that effect 95% inhibition of protein synthesis...
, ThiolutinThiolutinThiolutin is a sulfur-containing antibiotic, which is a potent inhibitor of bacterial and yeast RNA polymerases. It was found to inhibit in vitro RNA synthesis directed by all three yeast RNA polymerases . Thiolutin is also an inhibitor of mannan and glucan formation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and...
, WortmanninWortmanninWortmannin, a furanosteroid metabolite of the fungi Penicillium funiculosum, Talaromyces wortmannii,is a specific, covalent inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinases . It has an in vitro inhibitory concentration of around 5 nM, making it a more potent inhibitor than LY294002, another commonly...
, K252aK252aK252a is an alkaloid isolated from Nocardiopisis sp. soil fungi. This staurosporine analog is a highly potent cell permeable inhibitor of CaM kinase and phosphorylase kinase...
, StaurosporineStaurosporineStaurosporine is a natural product originally isolated in 1977 from the bacterium Streptomyces staurosporeus.It was the first of over 50 alkaloids to be isolated with this type of bis-indole chemical structure...
, K252C, BafilomycinBafilomycin (BAF)The bafilomycins are a family of toxic macrolide antibiotic derived from Streptomyces griseus. These compounds all appear in the same fermentation and have quite similar biological activity. Bafilomycins are specific inhibitors of vacuolar-type H+-ATPase....
, AlamethicinAlamethicinAlamethicin is a peptide antibiotic, produced by the fungus Trichoderma viride. It contains the non-proteinogenic amino acid 2-aminoisobutyric acid , which strongly induces helical peptide structures...
, LeptomycinLeptomycinLeptomycin B is a secondary metabolite produced by Streptomyces spp.Leptomycin B was originally discovered as a potent anti-fungal antibiotic. Leptomycin B was found to cause cell elongation of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Since then this elongation effect has been used for the...
, A23187A23187A23187 is a mobile ion-carrier that forms stable complexes with divalent cations . A23187 is also known as Calcimycin, Calcium Ionophore, Antibiotic A23187 and Calcium Ionophore A23187...
, ChelerythrineChelerythrineChelerythrine is a benzophenanthridine alkaloid extracted from the plant Greater celandine . It is a potent, selective, and cell-permeable protein kinase C inhibitor....
, OligomycinOligomycinOligomycins are macrolides created by Streptomyces that can be poisonous to other organisms.-Function:They have use as antibiotics.In addition, oligomycin inhibits ATP synthase by blocking its proton channel , which is necessary for oxidative phosphorylation of ADP to ATP . The inhibition of ATP...
, Trichostatin ATrichostatin ATrichostatin A is an organic compound that serves as an antifungal antibiotic and selectively inhibits the class I and II mammalian histone deacetylase families of enzymes, but not class III HDACs . TSA inhibits the eukaryotic cell cycle during the beginning of the growth stage...
, CeruleninCeruleninCerulenin is an antifungal antibiotic that inhibits fatty acid and steroid biosynthesis. In fatty acid synthesis, it has been reported to bind in equimolar ratio to b-keto-acyl-ACP synthase, one of the seven moieties of fatty acid synthase, blocking the interaction of malonyl-CoA...
, AphidicolinAphidicolinAphidicolin is defined as a tetracyclic diterpene antibiotic with antiviral and antimitotical properties. Aphidicolin is a reversible inhibitor of eukaryotic nuclear DNA replication. It blocks the cell cycle at early S phase... - Experimental drugs and drug precursors: ParthenolideParthenolideParthenolide is a sesquiterpene lactone of the germacranolide class which occurs naturally in the plant feverfew , after which it is named. It is found in highest concentration in the flowers and fruit....
, PuromycinPuromycinPuromycin is an antibiotic that is a protein synthesis inhibitor by inhibiting translation.-Inhibition of translation:Puromycin is an aminonucleoside antibiotic, derived from the Streptomyces alboniger bacterium, that causes premature chain termination during translation taking place in the...
, Rapamycin, AnisomycinAnisomycinAnisomycin, also known as flagecidin is an antibiotic produced by Streptomyces griseolus which inhibits protein synthesis. Partial inhibition of DNA synthesis occurs at anisomycin concentrations that effect 95% inhibition of protein synthesis...
, ThapsigarginThapsigarginThapsigargin is non-competitive inhibitor of a class of enzymes known by the acronym SERCA, which stands for sarco / endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase. Structurally, thapsigargin is classified as a sesquiterpene lactone, and is extracted from a plant, Thapsia garganica. It is a tumor promoter in...
, cyclopamineCyclopamineCyclopamine is a naturally occurring chemical that belongs to the group of steroidal jerveratrum alkaloids. It is a teratogen isolated from the corn lily that causes usually fatal birth defects. It can prevent the fetal brain from dividing into two lobes and cause the development of a single eye...
, ThiostreptonThiostreptonThiostrepton is a natural cyclic oligopeptide antibiotic, derived from several strains of strepromycetes, such as Streptomyces azureus and Streptomyces laurentii.- History :...
, StaurosporineStaurosporineStaurosporine is a natural product originally isolated in 1977 from the bacterium Streptomyces staurosporeus.It was the first of over 50 alkaloids to be isolated with this type of bis-indole chemical structure...
, Mithramycin, MidostaurinMidostaurinMidostaurin is a multi-target protein kinase inhibitor being investigated for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome...
, GeldanamycinGeldanamycinGeldanamycin is a benzoquinone ansamycin antibiotic that binds to Hsp90 and inhibits its function. HSP90 client proteins play important roles in the regulation of the cell cycle, cell growth, cell survival, apoptosis, angiogenesis and oncogenesis.Geldanamycin induces the degradation of proteins...
and its derivates: 17-DMAG, 17-AAG, ProdigiosinProdigiosinProdigiosin is the red pigment produced by many strains of the bacterium Serratia marcescens, other Gram negative gamma proteobacteria such as Vibrio psychroerythrus and Hahella chejuensis It is in a family of compounds termed prodiginines which are produced in some Gram negative gamma...
Sources
- Official website
- Product list
- BIOJERUSALEM, An initiative of the Jerusalem Development Authority...
- MatiMOP, MATIMOP - the Israeli Industry Center for R&D ...
- Israeli Ministry of Industry, Chemical Authority